Tao-Josh Naqvi

     The first lecture by C.S Lewis in the book "The Abolition of Man" was intriguing. I found what he said to be most agreeable. However, a section I found to be a great point was when he began to talk about the Tao. Tao essentially boils down to mean truth. According to C.S Lewis, this would be the deepest truths in life. I never really thought about universal truth as a cross-cultural idea. Yet after reading his points, I do agree with Lewis that indeed nearly every culture has those who seek to find the deepest of truths in life. One's personal feelings do not affirm or deny such truths they are independent of human feelings. 

    I loved his statement "The heart never takes the place of the head: but it can and should, obey it" (pg 6). This is not to say that feelings cannot help guide someone, but they are not always reliable. In Lewis's context feelings can be reasonable or unreasonable but not make definite truth statements. It is best to keep this in mind when thinking about something because when we become too personally involved in a work it may or may not lead us in a direction that has nothing to do with the subject. That is when the concept of the Tao comes into play. As an academic Lewis seems to believe that us as students should always pursue the truth first. Then the truth can be applied to our personal lives. It is the seeking of the Tao that can expand one's mind and help bring shape to individual thoughts. 

    I believe that truth comes from Scripture. While it may be a matter of belief, it is belief that is not formed on raw emotion. I legitimately believe in the truth of the Bible because I have seen it unfold in my life in many ways. It is the standard that I use in my life because it is not on my own thoughts and feelings that dictate how I live but on a higher standard. This standard is the guiding force in my life. 

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Comments

  1. Emmett BryantMarch 14, 2022 at 7:58 PM

    It is the heart's obedience to the mind that leads to beautiful art. When the sources of mankind's creativity are drawn upon and chosen carefully and then inspired by our heart, true beauty flows out. And when our mind investigates the movings of our heart, true knowledge is found and false truths are done away with. --Emmett Bryant

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  2. Haylee LyndMarch 14, 2022 at 9:45 PM

    Without the Tao, I may mentally respond to the same type of event differently today than I would tomorrow, and thus I will respond emotionally differently. My action in response will be different. Objective truth is so important. Without scripture as my objective truth, there would be no logic to guide my anger, my laziness, my lust, my hunger, etc. My life would likely be in shambles. I would simply be responding to events and people with my appetite.

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  3. Samantha TMarch 15, 2022 at 12:32 AM

    I love Lewis' focus on Tao and how is transcends cultural, racial, religious, and language barriers. All humans seem to have an innate desire for what is true. Humans need guidance and structure. We like to find that in many things albeit ourselves, work, sports, school or God, we all do it. Though I agree that God's word is the ultimate truth above all others, it is interesting to see other religious attempts to explain what is true.
    -Samanta T

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